A close-up view of two "twisters" in the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8), 5,000 light years away.

A close-up view of two "twisters" in the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8), 5,000 light years away.

A close-up view of two &quot;twisters&quot; in the Lagoon... Photo-3511009.49694 - San Antonio Express-News

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NASA's "Astronomy Picture of the Day" describes it best: "For reasons unknown, star V838 Mon's outer surface suddenly greatly expanded with the result that it became the brightest star in the entire Milky Way Galaxy in January 2002. Then, just as suddenly, it faded. A stellar flash like this has never been seen before ..." less

NASA's "Astronomy Picture of the Day" describes it best: "For reasons unknown, star V838 Mon's outer surface suddenly greatly expanded with the result that it became the brightest star in the ... more